Billy Joel, born in 1949 in New York, is an iconic American singer, songwriter, and pianist known as the "Piano Man." Launching his solo career in the early 1970s, he achieved major success with hits like Just the Way You Are, Uptown Girl, and We Didn't Start the Fire. Joel has released twelve studio albums in pop and rock, along with a classical album, selling more than 160 million records worldwide. He is among the best-selling music artists in history and one of America's top-selling solo acts. Joel's breakthrough came with the album The Stranger, followed by chart-topping releases like 52nd Street and Glass Houses. His Greatest Hits collection remains one of the best-selling albums in the United States. Beyond recording, Joel is famous for energetic live performances and for being one of the first Western artists to tour the Soviet Union in the 1980s. He has earned six Grammy Awards and holds a place in both the Rock and Roll and Songwriters Halls of Fame. Despite scaling back on new music after the early 1990s, he continues to perform and occasionally releases new songs, including his 2024 single Turn the Lights Back On.